Week In Review 4/14/2017

Here is your week in review. It’s been a busy week, so buckle up. We also have some information about upcoming events that might be of interest to many of you. (You could also find upcoming events that might be of interest to many of you on the IU Dems master calendar. Yes, that’s a shameless plug.)

The Future of the U.S. Constitution

What: Join national constitutional experts, including national constitutional experts, including former top advisors to Presidents and Senators, for a day-long symposium examining the greatest constitutional challenges of our time. The symposium will cover topics including, presidential power, congressional dysfunction, the Supreme Court, voting and Second Amendment rights.​For more info on the event, you can go here.

Where: IU Maurer School of Law, Moot Court Room

When: ​TODAY 9:00AM-5:15PM (*It is set up like a conference, so you can come and go to various sessions as you please.)

CDIN State Elections

What: The annual College Democrats of Indiana state convention and elections are coming up! You do NOT need to be an executive board member of IU Dems to run for a position. Information on candidate roles and procedures can be found here. General attendees must fill out this form. Interested candidates must fill out this form. The Facebook event is here.

What: Several doctoral students from the Jacobs School of Music are putting on a small concert to benefit the ACLU. There will be several solo pieces and a variety of small group classical music. The event is free, but any donations will be going directly to the ACLU Indiana Foundation. This would be a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon relaxing before finals begin, not to mention the great organization that you would be supporting. The link to the Facebook event is here.

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington – 2120 N Fee

When: Sunday April 30, 2PM-3:30PM

Call to Action

What: If you have not yet heard the terrors of Indiana SB 404, essentially it mandates that a parent/legal guardian be notified if an individual under 18 is seeking an abortion or information about receiving an abortion. The measure is hidden under the guise of “parental rights” but the bill has nothing to do with protecting children. If you vote in Indiana, or are simply a person living in Indiana who would be affected by this bill, please call Governor Holcomb’s office and tell him to veto SB 404.

How: Hello, my name is [NAME] and I live in/vote in [ZIP CODE]. I am calling to urge Governor Holcomb to veto SB 404. The bill is reckless and would likely cause further harm to the very victims they claim they wish to protect, and is fraught with unintended consequences. Thank you for your time.

Bad News

​​Despite the absolute failure of the AHCA, healthcare may be under attack again (Fortune). President Trump previously said that he will be moving his focus from healthcare to tax reform, but in the fashion of the administration he changed his mind. The President said earlier this week that in order for tax reform to take place, the ACA must be repealed (The Hill).

In Indiana bad news, lawmakers are pushing to revive a bill that would allow victims of domestic violence to carry a firearm without a license (IndyStar). While this may sound like a good idea on the surface, this law would actually enable their abusers, as a victim in a violent situation is far more likely to have their weapon turned against them than they are to protect themselves (The Atlantic).

President Trump has shifted his position yet again, and appears to be moving toward a more globalist approach to foreign policy (ABC). President Trump congratulated himself for transforming NATO into a “modern, cost-sharing, terrorism-fighting pillar of American and European security” (NYT). Regardless of the fact that NATO has not actually changed in the last few months, this change in ideology means Steve Bannon could become less and less relevant in the West Wing, which is good because nobody likes a racist.

We hope you all have an excellent weekend, and we hope to see you at one of the many events we are supporting!